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At the Intersection of Beer, Chocolate, and Coffee

by Josh Friedland

on 02/12/10 at 05:00 PM

Stouts seem to exist at an interesting nexus of flavors. The rich, chocolatey flavor of stout beer makes one think of, well, chocolate, and for that reason it's not much of a stretch to think of it as an ingredient for a beer-y stout cake or ice cream mash-up.

And since espresso is such a perfect match for chocolate, the idea of bringing together coffee and stout strangely makes sense too.

Enter Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout Beer, which is brewed from caramel, roasted, black and chocolate malts, along with real espresso beans. I'm a big fan of Hitachino Nest's spicy and orangey White Ale, so I was curious to try this unusual concoction. After searching around for it, I finally found a bottle at the beer shop at Whole Foods' Bowery store in Manhattan, which is stocked with all sorts of beers from far flung places.

When poured into a glass, the deep dark brown/black colored stout bubbled up a big foamy bronze head. The beer has an almost syrupy flavor, tasting distinctly of espresso and chocolate. I thought it was delicious, though it was lacking the thicker, creamier texture I like in other stouts. I guess when it comes to beer, I like cream in my coffee.